Spring 2014 by Real Fishing

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VOLUME 20 • ISSUE 2 Just $3.95

SPRING 2014

DISPLAY UNTIL JULY 15, 2014

S TA L K I N G S P R I N G C R A P P I E S

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Contents Features 30 SPRING CRAPPIES From ice-out through the spawn, here’s how to stay on top of the spring crappie bite. By Jonathan LePera

38 SCRATCHING THE SURFACE FOR TOPWATER MUSKIES Tips and tactics for heart-stopping muskie action throughout the season. By Mark Forabosco

44 GROWING GREAT LAKES SMALLMOUTH Uncovering the reasons behind the phenomenal growth rates of Great Lakes smallmouth bass and what it means to anglers. By Dr. Bruce Tufts

53 THERE’S MORE THAN ONE Multi-species lakes offer alternatives you can take advantage of if your target species develops lockjaw. By Wes David

Spring 2014 Volume 20, Issue 2 Editor Jerry Hughes Art Production Rossi Piedimonte Design Publisher Fred Delsey National Advertising Izumi Outdoors Tel: (905) 632-8679 President Wayne Izumi Contributors Patrick Daradick, Wes David, Mark Forabosco, Bob Izumi, Wayne Izumi, Nick Laferriere, Jonathan LePera, Steve May, Benjamin Mohabir, Dave Taylor, Dr. Bruce Tufts Real Fishing is published by Izumi Outdoors Inc. 940 Sheldon Court Burlington, ON L7L 5K6 Tel: (905) 632-8679 Fax: (905) 632-2833 Privacy Policy: Occasionally, we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies whose products and services might be of interest to our subscribers. If you prefer to have your name removed from this list and not receive these mailings, please write to us at the above address.

We welcome manuscripts, but will not be held responsible for loss of manuscripts, photos or other materials. Published four times each year: January (Winter) April (Spring) July (Summer) October (Fall) One year subscription is $9.95. For USA add $10 all others add $30. Subscriptions: Real Fishing 940 Sheldon Court, Burlington ON L7L 5K6 Subscription inquiries Please call: 1-877-474-4141 or visit www.realfishing.com

Columns

6 OPENING LINES

24 REAL FISHING FISH FACTS

By Jerry Hughes

Black Crappie

10 SPORTSMEN’S ALMANAC

26 BEST FISHING TIMES

News, trivia, event listings and more from the world of fishing

14 WHAT’S NEW The latest in fishing tackle, gear and accessories

By Bob Izumi

18 FLY FISHING By Steve May

20 THE WATER’S EDGE By Dave Taylor

22 THE VINTAGE TACKLE BOX 28 THE HOT BITE

By Patrick Daradick

60 TALES FROM THE ROAD The trials and tribulations of life as a professional angler By Bob Izumi

Postmaster: Please return front cover/label only of undeliverables to: Real Fishing 940 Sheldon Court, Burlington ON L7L 5K6

64 WHAT’S COOKING

66 ART OF ANGLING

22 SMOKIN’ SMALLIE! Photo by Izumi Outdoors

16 FISHING

Canada Post Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40015689 Customer Account No. 2723816 GST Registration No. R102546504

On the cover:

Doug Hannon’s moon phase calendar

opening lines By Jerry Hughes

Out Of The Box If you have followed Real Fishing for any length of time you know that we like to preach “out of the box” thinking when it comes to fishing. Whether it’s trying a brand new bait, using an old bait in a new way, adapting one species technique to another species, developing new rigging systems or employing any other different approach, it seems experimentation and innovation are often rewarded with better than average success. Today’s top anglers are never happy with the status quo and they constantly push the boundaries in search of more efficient tactics or techniques. This issue of Real Fishing is all about keeping an open mind and not getting stuck in a fishing rut, starting with Bob Izumi’s insights into using baits in unusual ways. In his Fishing column Bob looks at Sebile’s new Flatt Shad lipless crankbait and how it can be used for multiple species, in any season, by simply changing how it’s presented. Originally developed as a fast moving, horizontal bait for bass, this lure is equally at home vertically jigged for trout or walleyes, ripped through weeds for pike, walleyes or bass, or bounced along rocks for smallmouth or walleyes. The trick isn’t so much in the bait itself, it’s in adapting it to the conditions you’re faced with and using it in a way that appeals to the fish.

6 Real Fishing – Spring 2014

Continuing the theme, Johnathan LePera interviewed several of North America’s top crappie anglers for his article on how to catch crappies throughout the spring and early summer. It’s no secret that fishing with minnows under floats in warm, sunny bays will catch these fish, but sometimes switching things up can mean the difference between a bunch of 7 or 8-inch fish and a boatload of 10s and 12s. You can find out how the pros adapt their baits and their approaches to the changing seasonal conditions and migrating fish in Johnathan’s article beginning on page 30. One of the toughest things for anglers to do is leave their comfort zone of how they like to fish, but sometimes it’s the best way to change a slow day into a good one. Mark Forabosco’s article, Scratching the Surface for Topwater Muskies, came about from a trip he took last summer when his traditional approaches - trolling over deep water humps, casting large spinners over weedbeds and tossing jerkbaits over rocks – weren’t working. A chance sighting of a huge fish and a switch to a surface approach put Mark onto a tactic that has caught many muskies for him since. Regardless of how open-minded you are, sometimes the fish just don’t cooperate and

you have a choice between staying with it or leaving and trying again another day. Alberta’s Wes David has experienced this many times and he prefers a third option, and one a lot of anglers overlook. In his article, There’s More Than One, Wes shows how being prepared to switch your attention to a different species in the same waterbody can often save the day. We’ve always said that there is no right or wrong way to fish, and that includes thinking out of the box in your approach to it. When your traditional techniques, secret hot spots and favourite baits aren’t working, a change in one or all of them could be the answer. We hope this issue of Real Fishing gives you some food for thought and gets you thinking about some things you could try to increase your fishing success this season. ?

Always in season.

ÂŠ Tim Hortons, 2012

8 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Spring 2014

We’ve all heard stories about the aggressive nature of piranhas. According to folklore they are the freshwater equivalent to Jaws, lying in wait to eat anything that passes their way, and capable of stripping their prey to the bone in a matter of minutes. If you’ve ever wondered how something the size of a sunfish earned such a fearsome reputation, one look at their impressive dental endowment should clear things up.

Spring 2014 – Real Fishing 9

REAL FISHING GOES WILD In our last issue we announced the new season of the Real Fishing Show and since then we’ve added another station and day when you can watch it. Now, every Sunday morning at 8 a.m. you can catch Bob nationally on Nat Geo Wild TV. You can check the upcoming show schedule on our website at www.realfishing.com or visit our FaceBook page for weekly show updates.

ONTARIO FISHING NAVIONICS BRINGS SONARCHARTS TO CANADA REGULATIONS Navionics’ cutting edge, user created SonarCharts is now available in Canada. Boaters with compatible GPS chartplotters, sounders and fishfinders can now record their sonar logs with a few simple button pushes, and upload them to navionics.com. With every new sonar log uploaded, the bathymetric detail for the area becomes denser, more accurate, and more valuable. Updated charts can then be downloaded through Navionics’ Freshest Data, a free online chart updating service. The potential for SonarCharts™ to reveal new detail on thousands of Canadian lakes, including remote ones where official charts may not exist or are outdated and lacking in detail, is incredible as sonar logs contributed by local boaters will provide new, highly detailed chart data. SonarCharts is available with Navionics+, Navionics Updates, Platinum+ and HotMaps Platinum as well as an upgrade within Navionics’ mobile apps. To learn more, visit www.navionics.com/en/sonarcharts.

If you haven’t picked up a copy of the 2014 Ontario Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary yet, you’ll want to look it over before you head out fishing this season. The summary includes a number of

regulation changes including new lake trout size limits in Zone 4, new bass, crappie and northern pike regulations in Zone 5, and new bass regulations in Zone 10. You can pick up a hard copy of the booklet at authorized licence issuers and ServiceOntario locations or you can download it from the Ontario Government website at www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/LetsFish/.

10 Real Fishing – Spring 2014

READ ALL ABOUT IT

EVENTS Calendar

SIMPLE FLY FISHING – Techniques for Tenkara and Rod & Reel

KIDS, COPS AND CANADIAN TIRE FISHING DAYS Year ‘round youth oriented fishing events. Various dates and locations. 905-632-8679 www.kidsandcops.ca

By Yvon Chouinard, Craig Mathews and Mauro Mazzo.

Modern-day fly fishing has become exceedingly complex but it doesn’t have to be that way. Yvon Chouinard joins noted fly fishermen Mauro Mazzo and Craig Mathews, to introduce modern-day readers – beginner anglers to master fishermen – to the techniques based on Tenkara fishing, which relies less on equipment and more on how to discover where the fish are, at what depth, and what they are feeding on. Then it describes the practices needed to present a fly at that depth, make it look lifelike, and hook the fish. The book includes chapters on wet flies, nymphs, and dry flies using the Tenkara rod as well as regular fly fishing gear. Soft Cover: $24.95 U.S. 144 pages, 11.25 x 8.75 in ISBN-13: 978-1-938340-27-7 Published by Patagonia Books, www.patagonia.com

ORILLIA PERCH FESTIVAL April 19 - May 10 Lakes Simcoe & Couchiching Orillia, ON www.orillia.com BLUEWATER ANGLERS SALMON DERBY May 2 - May 11 Lake Huron Point Edward, ON www.bluewateranglers.com MARMORA ANTIQUE TACKLE SHOW & SALE May 3 Marmora Legion Hall Marmora, ON 613-435-1926 TRENTON KIWANIS WALLEYE WORLD May 3 - 4 Bay of Quinte Trenton, ON www.kiwaniswalleyeworld.com/v2 SOUTHERN ALBERTA WALLEYE TRAIL May – September Various dates and locations in Alberta www.sawt.ca

PERSONAL BEST: FISHING AND LIFE – An Obsessive Weekend Tournament Angler’s Pursuit of Perfection By Kurt Mazurek

Personal Best: Fishing and Life is not a “how-to” manual, but instead an entertaining, fictional story, loaded with very real information that just might make you think about your approach to fishing and/or life. It’s a story of dedication, transformation and inspiration, but it’s also fairly lighthearted, entertaining and readable. Follow along behind the scenes of tournament bass fishing as the voice in this angler’s head wrestles with highs and lows, unexpected dangers, true friendship, lies and scandals in pursuit of his personal best. Available as a paperback, eBook or audiobook at www.personalbestfishingandlife.com

SASKATCHEWAN WALLEYE TRAIL May – September Various dates and locations in Saskatchewan www.saskwalleyetrail.ca CANADIAN ANTIQUE TACKLE SHOW June 8 Evinrude Centre Peterborough, ON www.cafta.ca ANGLER & YOUNG ANGLER TOURNAMENTS June – August Various dates and locations in Canada and the United States. Visit AnglerYoungAngler on FaceBook CSFL BASSMANIA TOURNAMENTS June – August Various locations in Ontario www.csfl.ca RENEGADE BASS TOUR June – August Various locations in Ontario www.renegadebass.com TOP BASS TOURNAMENTS June – August Various locations in Ontario www.top-bass.ca NATIONAL FISHING WEEK July 5 - 13 License-free fishing days across Canada www.catchfishing.com

Spring 2014 – Real Fishing 11

READER’S PHOTOS Brent McNamee Ottawa ON Smallmouth Bass

Send us a photo of your best catch and you could see your picture in a future issue of Real Fishing Magazine! Send photos to: Real Fishing, 940 Sheldon Court, Burlington, ON L7L 5K6 Shawn Good Rutland VT Steelhead

Beth Stokes Hamilton ON Pike

Roy Thompson Brantford ON Rainbow Trout Jamie Antoine Cornwall ON Muskellunge

12 Real Fishing – Spring 2014

Catch BOB on the Tube! BOB IZUMIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S REAL FISHING SHOW SCHEDULE Costa Rican Roosterfish Great Lakes Smallies Lake Simcoe Ice Fishing for Lake Trout Ontario Spring Steelhead Slammin' Swimbait Walleye Grand Bahamas Bonefish Pitching PowerBait for Bass Lake of the Woods Luxury Fishing at Grace Anne Lodge Georgian Bay Bassin' Sunset Country Crappies Inshore/Offshore Fishing at Zancudo Lodge Kenora Walleye Niagara River Fall Steelhead

April 5 April 12 April 19 April 26 May 3 May 10 May 17 May 24 May 31 June 7 June 14 June 21 June 28

STATION LISTING & AIRING TIMES* MARKET

PROV./STATE

STATION

DATE & AIR TIMES

Atlantic Canada

Global (CIHF)

Saturday 8:00 am

Calgary

Global (CICT)

Saturday 10:30 am

Edmonton

Global (CITV)

Saturday 10:30 pm

Ontario

Global (CIII)

Saturday 7:30 am

Quebec

Global (CKMI)

Saturday 8:30 am

Regina

Global (CFRE)

Saturday 7:30 am

Saskatoon

Global (CFSK)

Saturday 7:30 am

Vancouver

Global (CHAN)

Saturday 10:30 am

Winnipeg

Global (CKND)

Saturday 7:30 am

Canada

Canada-wide

Nat Geo Wild HD

Sunday 8:00 am

Canada/USA

WFN

Check www.wfn.tv for dates and times

*Station listings, airtimes and show descriptions are subject to change. Please refer to your local television listings for the latest show schedules.

NEW

What’s

2014

BOSS DOG The newest addition to the Berkley® HAVOC™ line is the Boss Dog lizard bait. Designed for Carolina or Texas rigging, the 6-inch Boss Dog features highly active legs and an elongated tail, which give the bait an exaggerated and strike-inducing action. The narrow body contains a unique hook channel on the underbelly to easily conceal hooks and the back has an indented cavity with ribs that hide hook points. The Boss Dog is available in 14 colors and comes 10 to a package.

www.berkley-fishing.com

CHART YOUR COURSE Navionics has a new, free app for iPhone, iPad and Android that provides the same great detail and functionality found on most full-sized GPS chart plotters running Navionics. Available as a free download on iTunes and GooglePlay, Navionics Boating allows you to select the specific coverage areas you need with a simple in-app purchase. It’s the perfect choice for boaters who travel to many different waterways and for those who don’t have a full sized GPS unit.

www.navionics.com

BUG OFF! OFF! EXPLORE Area Bug Spray provides an effective first line of defence against flies, mosquitos, wasps and hornets. Its fogging action covers a large area, making it ideal for use around backyards, patios, decks and campsites. Simply spray it over bushes or grass and allow the fog to drift and settle for long-lasting protection.

www.bugsmart.ca

14 Real Fishing – Spring 2014

We welcome submissions from manufacturers and distibutors for our New Products section. Products that appear in this section have not necessarily been tested or endorsed by the staff at Real Fishing. Submissions can be sent to: Editor, Real Fishing Magazine, 940 Sheldon Court, Burlington, ON L7L 5K6

SMART FISHING AND HUNTING DataSport has released updated versions of their popular FishCast and HuntCast apps for Apple and Android. Newly designed for 2014, both the Apple and Android apps give peak fish and game activity periods, weather, and sunrise/sunset times for any place in the world using data from the DataSport Fish & Game Forecast and Doug Hannon’s Moon Clock calculator.

www.datasportinc.com

FLATT OUT FISHING Sebile’s Flatt Shad is a lipless crankbait with a rounded belly that imitates most baitfish and allows it to swim with an extreme vibration other baits of this type can’t match. It is equally at home covering weed flats for bass as it is vertically jigged for deep-water trout or walleye, in any season, even through the ice. This versatile lure comes in suspending, sinking, extra-heavy sinking and snagless versions, in sizes from 1 3/8-inches to 5-inches and in weights from 1/16 to 3 ¾-ounces. The FlattShad is available in dozens of color patterns to suit any species or water conditions.

www.sebileusa.com

THE TITAN Toro’s TITAN® ZX and MX zero-turn riding mowers are designed with many commercial-grade qualities found on the machines professionals use. With five different models to choose from, TITAN mowers deliver a great after-cut appearance while providing a smooth and comfortable ride. Features include a flip-up floor pan for easy access to the top of the deck and dual deck washout ports. The deck blade spindles are maintenance free and the deck can be removed in less than two minutes without tools. TITAN mowers are available in 48, 54 and 60-inch decks sizes and are powered by 21.5, 23 or 24-horsepower Kawasaki engines.

www.toro.com

Spring 2014 – Real Fishing 15

fishing

Bob Izumi is the host of The Real Fishing Show.

By Bob Izumi

Different Strokes In fishing there are all kinds of terms used to describe how to work a lure: chunkin’ and windin’; stroking; stop-and-go; jerking; burning, buzzing, ripping, jigging etc. There are so many ways of working lures that it can be confusing to a lot of anglers. But, one of the cool things about fishing is that there’s no right or wrong way to use a fishing lure. I’ve always referred to lures as nothing more than tools that help you catch more fish and those tools can be used in so many ways for so many different species of fish. For example, when you think of crankbaits, the term “crankbait” says it all - cast them out and crank them in. Well guess what? All of those floating, diving, suspending and lipless crankbaits can be used on a straight, “cast them out and wind them in” retrieve and, at times, that will catch fish. There are other times that a “stop-and-go” retrieve or a “stroking” retrieve will work better. The key to successful fishing on any given day is trying to figure out whether the fish are aggressive or passive. If they’re aggressive, your approach can be aggressive. If they’re passive, your approach should be more passive, slow and defined, to work a smaller strike zone. Let’s look at lipless crankbaits as an example, and talk about how to use them in different situations.

The Sebile Flatt Shad is one of my favourite lipless crankbaits and the ½-ounce version is one of the most versatile lures you can get for Canadian fishing conditions. Most people think of lipless crankbaits as open water lures but a lot of folks don’t know that they’re deadly through the ice too. I’ve used the Flatt Shad through the ice from Manitoba through Ontario to catch 16 Real Fishing – Spring 2014

some huge walleyes and lake trout. For walleyes I’ll drop it to the bottom, lift it a foot or so off bottom, hold it for a second or two, let it fall back down, pull it up again, let it flutter down and so on. This slow, deliberate approach results in some incredibly bone-jarring hits from cold water walleyes through the ice Now let’s take it over to the lake trout spectrum. Say you’re marking some lake trout on your graph and, as you’re lowering your bait down through the hole, you start to see that streak coming up. That’s when you want to engage your reel and start to reel the lure up on a medium-fast retrieve. Once lake trout get committed to chasing the bait it’s almost like they can’t stop themselves and they will come up and just hammer it as it’s moving vertically. There’s an example of how we’ve used the same lure with two different techniques, one passive and one aggressive, through the ice. Now let’s take that same lure and apply it to open water conditions. Lipless crankbaits can be dynamite when they are used to cover sparse weed flats for largemouth bass and the larger versions are great for northern pike and even muskies. You just cast the lure out and then reel it in on a medium to medium-fast retrieve. This type of approach can catch a lot of aggressive fish because it covers massive amounts of water. We use this same lure with a slightly slower retrieve for walleyes in the warmer months. We also use it with long casts and a fast retrieve to cover water and catch monster smallmouth along points and over rock

shoals and shorelines. At times we’ll let it sink to the bottom and “pop” it back to the boat in an aggressive jigging motion that gets big smallmouth to crush it. We’ve even used this lure as a rip-jig by casting it into sparse weeds, letting it sink down, ripping it out, letting it flutter back, ripping it out and so on. This tactic gets a lot of those aggressive, reactiontype strikes. It doesn’t matter if it’s bass, walleye, pike or muskie, this is a great open water lure that can be used aggressively or passively, through hard water or in open water, for multiple species simply by changing the way it’s used.

I don’t have enough space here to cover all the ways you can fish all of the different baits out there but I hope I’ve got you thinking. How about swimbaits rigged on a football head for ice fishing? Tube baits rigged with a heavy tungsten weight and flipped into heavy cover for largemouth bass? Small spinnerbaits flipped and fluttered beside cover for bass? Have you ever used your ice fishing swimming jigs for deep water smallmouth and walleyes or backtrolled a floating minnowbait behind a walking sinker over sand and gravel flats? I always say that you shouldn’t get stuck in a rut when it comes to fishing and experimenting with your lures is a big part of that. Let the conditions and your imagination be your guide and you just might invent the next hot fishing tactic! ?

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Steve May works for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. When he’s not working to improve our fisheries, Steve can be found guiding or fly-casting on his local rivers.

fly fishing By Stephen May

Matching Mayflies Spring is in the air and veteran anglers are starting to get excited about their favorite hatches. Beginners often wonder what all the fuss is about or they simply get overwhelmed by the new jargon about various bugs associated with

changing from a nymph to an adult fly. Emergers are an easier meal that will not fly away and they are very vulnerable to being eaten. Emergers, and the flies that imitate them, look pretty messy but that is just the way the fish like them!

“matching the hatch”. I admit it can be a bit daunting, but once you experience a good mayfly hatch you will understand what all of the excitement is about. Watching a fish slurp a bug from the surface, and then trying to fool that fish into taking your fly, is one of the pinnacles of fly fishing. If you’d like to experience that perfect moment, a bit of homework will help tilt the odds in your favor. There is this thing called the Internet. Search for “Hatch Charts” for your local river or area and you should be able to figure out what bugs are in your area and when you can expect them to hatch. Good charts will give you pictures of the bug, their size and some recommended fly patterns. There is also useful information on bug life cycles out there. If you can’t find a chart for your secret stream, look to similar waters nearby. That will give you an idea as to what flies to have “on-stream” in case a hatch happens. Hatches can happen in a pretty compressed time of the day so you should be prepared by having four types of flies on hand.

Nymphs live on the bottom of your local stream so if you do not see bugs in the air, or on the water, consider using a nymph. Nymphs are active before and during hatch times. Some of the larger fish feast mainly on nymphs so they do not expose themselves to predators near the surface. Once the bugs start emerging you will see a few flying around and, hopefully, swirls on the surface from fish eating them. This is when you should start thinking about getting a dry fly or emerger pattern going.

Most dry flies imitate “duns” – insects that are drying their wings before flying off the water. These high floating flies are fun to fish, but fish often prefer “emergers”. These sit lower in the water and imitate bugs breaking through the surface film and 18 Real Fishing – Spring 2014

“Spinners” are mayflies that are laying their eggs or dying after mating. They do not fly away and lazy trout looking for a sure snack know this. “Spinner falls” often occur at last light or in the dark, but they can certainly be worth hanging around for. To be prepared for mayfly hatches you don’t need to go overboard. Having a few simple flies that imitate each stage of the hatch should get you started and into some fish. Carry a variety of proven flies like the Parachute Adams, Poly Wing Spinners and Haresear nymphs in a variety of sizes and a couple of colors and you will be ready for most hatches. Most importantly, do not fret if you have trouble fooling that big fish that refuses every fly in your box. Fish like those are the ones that keep us experimenting with new approaches and fly patterns – and that’s half the fun of fly fishing! ?

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Dave Taylor is a well known photographer and naturalist from Mississauga, Ontario

water’s edge By Dave Taylor

Wild Turkey Last spring I was in Point Peele National Park, photographing the migration of song birds. Coming back from the very end of the point, I noticed a pair of wild turkeys walking along the beach. Seeing turkeys in Ontario is not unusual these days as it is estimated that there are well over 100,000 in the province. But seeing them on the beach? That was unusual, at least for me, as I associate them with farm country and wooded areas. I wonder if anglers are also encountering wild turkeys. The species was never one that I considered for this column but this incident suggested that it was time to tell a bit of their story. Wild turkeys were extirpated from Ontario, and much of Canada, over 100years ago; however, from 1984 until early 2005 efforts to reintroduce the bird were undertaken. Thousands of wild turkeys

20 Real Fishing – Spring 2014

were released at over 250 sites across the province. To say they reclaimed their lost range would be an understatement! They expanded it. Wild turkeys have even been reported here in Mississauga. I can still remember how surprised I was to see one in Algonquin Provincial Park in the late 90s. The turkey is here to stay. They are surprising birds. They can fly not well, but they can fly well enough to reach their roosting spots in the trees. It is something to see a half-dozen or more spending a night in a tree. They are one of the largest wild birds in North America, about the same size as domesticated turkeys. The males average

19-pounds and females about half of that. If you encounter a turkey with white on its feathers you can be assured it is a domestic bird since wild turkeys, although multicoloured, lack white. Wild turkeys are ground nesters. The female lays a clutch of 10 to 12 eggs in April and a little less than a month later they hatch. A second laying may occur in late spring or summer. The poults are precocial and are able to leave the nest soon after hatching. Like all precocial birds, the poults are not fed by their parents but are guided to places where they can find food. They are omnivores and will eat insects, seeds, acorns and even the occasional small amphibian or reptile. After two-weeks the young birds begin to show some signs of independence. Like most species, the young are the most vulnerable to predation. Coyotes, foxes and great horned owls are their major predators. Wild turkey eggs are eaten by opossums, groundhogs, raccoons, skunks, foxes and crows. In urban areas, dogs and cats are major predators. The turkey’s standard defence against predators is to run away flying is the last option. Mating season is in the spring and male turkeys, called gobblers, are polygamous (they take several mates). They are well known for their displays of puffed out chests, spread feathers and loud calling. They also do a bit of a dance to impress the females. More than one male will often court a group of hens, giving the subordinate male a chance to mate with one hen while the dominate mates with another. Wild turkeys are popular game birds and some regions of Canada and the USA offer spring hunts. Fall hunts are also employed to manage the species. In North America there are around 7-million wild turkeys. While the chances of encountering a wild turkey at the water’s edge may be slight, meeting up with a flock on your way to a favorite fishing spot is becoming increasingly likely. ?

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the vintage tackle box

Patrick Daradick has been collecting vintage fishing tackle for over 25-years and is a specialist in Ontario made tackle. He enjoys sharing his passion and knowledge and can be contacted online at www.ontariolures.com or by phone at 613-398-7245.

By Patrick Daradick

The Ambassadeur Reel Any angler who demands precision, quality and endurance in a fishing reel would have no arguments in saying that one of finest baitcasters ever manufactured was the ABU Ambassadeur. These beautiful and well-engineered reels originated from Sweden and were introduced to the world in 1952.The company actually has origins that date back as far as 1920s. AB Urfabriken, one of the most recognizable names in fishing technology, began at a factory located near the Morrum River in Blekinge, Sweden, in 1921. They originally manufactured watches, telephone timers and taxi meters. During World War II, however, the demand for taxi meters vanished and the company needed to find something new to manufacture to fill the void. It was at this time that the founder’s son, Gote Borgstrom, a fishing enthusiast, redirected its focus towards fishing reels. The delicate machinery used to make watches and taxi meters was ideally suited

22 Real Fishing – Spring 2014

to the manufacture of precision fishing reels and so it was used to make the first ABU baitcasters. The company’s first 25 reels were all handmade and Gote used these to present to potential fishing tackle jobbers in Sweden. At this time Sweden had nobody that manufactured fishing reels in their country. Gote returned with astonishing news that orders for over 5000 reels had been placed. The rest, as they say, is history. Ambassadeur reels quickly overcame their competitors by producing baitcasting reels that were light, strong, small, long-lived and attractive to fisherman. What really set ABU reels apart were their lightweight spools and the invention of their centrifugal braking system. This system permitted tiny brake blocks to be forced, with varying degrees of pressure, against a brake drum as the spool’s

spinning speed increased and decreased. The first model was the ABU 5000, a beautiful, red-coloured, lightweight aluminum baitcasting reel. ABU then partnered up with one of the largest fishing tackle distributors of the time, Charles Garcia & Company from New York. They began importing and marketing many ABU reels in the 1950s, including the famous Ambassadeur. Ambassadeur baitcasting reels were made in many models, colours and styles to suit all the needs and requirements of fisherman. The reels were highly regarded for their exceptional quality and workmanship. In 1956 ABU introduced the ABUMatic, a well-engineered push-button casting reel and in 1965 they introduced their Cardinal spinning reels that featured a Finnish designed body with ABU quality engineering. The ABU Company acquired Garcia Tackle Co. and in 1984 they changed their name to ABU Garcia. What set Ambassadeur reels apart from other reels of the day was their appeal to fisherman. The reels came boxed with instructions and every one came with a beautiful leather pouch, oiler, and spare parts. The quality was quite visible and anglers could see that these reels would last a lifetime. Ambassadeur reels are highly sought after by collectors and their appearance makes for a great display. Due to the many models manufactured over the years, they are a reel collectors dream. Most common models, complete with the original leather case and in mint condition, have market values of $100 or more. ABU reels can be dated by the serial number on the reel seat and there are many obscure and rare models that can easily top the $500 mark. Other memorabilia by this company, such as boxes, catalogues, reels, lures and advertisements, should never be discarded as collectors worldwide seek these rare items. It’s not often you’ll see a fishing reel bearing the country’s King’s crown to mark its excellence in the world! ?

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Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus

The black crappie is a member of the sunfish family and features the same deep, laterally compressed body shape as other sunfishes. The back is generally olive, metallic green or brown-green in color and may have a slight silver or blue tinge. The flanks are lighter, ranging from greenish to iridescent green or silvery and are covered in numerous black blotches. The belly is creamy to whitish. Black crappies are native to eastern and central North America and have been widely introduced into other regions. In Canada, black crappies can be found in Quebec, from the St. Lawrence River and its tributaries westward to the Ottawa River; throughout Ontario roughly south of a line from Temiskaming through Sault Ste. Marie to Lake of the Woods, and into southern Manitoba. They are absent from the Prairie Provinces but have been introduced into areas of southern British Columbia. The average black crappie is between 7 and 10-inches in length and weighs up to 1pound, but fish up to 12 to 16-inches and weighing up to 2-pounds are relatively common. The IGFA lists the All Tackle World

24 Real Fishing – Spring 2014

Record black crappie at 5-pounds even. Black crappies spawn in the late spring or early summer, when water temperatures reach 66°F to 68°F, usually between late May and late June. They are known to enter the shallows much earlier, often in early to mid-April, however this early movement is feeding related rather than a spawning migration. During the spawn the males clear shallow nests in sand, gravel or muddy bottoms in water under 2-feet deep. Females may spawn with several different males and will deposit a total of between 25,000 and 70,000 eggs in a number of nests. The eggs hatch in 3 to 5days and the fry are guarded by the male for a few days before leaving the nest.

DID YOU KNOW? Adult black crappies feed on many species of fish fry but they are not a primary prey species for other fish.

FAST FACTS Colour: Olive, metallic green or brown/ green along the back, sometimes with a silver or bluish tinge. The sides range from greenish to iridescent green or silvery and are covered in numerous black blotches. Size: The average size of a black crappie is between 7 and 10-inches in length with a weight of up to 1-pound. Fish up to 16-inches in length and weighing up to 2-pounds are not uncommon. Life Span: Up to 10-years. Habitat: Ponds, small lakes, shallow areas of large lakes and large river systems. Spawning: Spawning takes place between May and July over sand, gravel or mud bottoms in areas where vegetation is present.

RECORD The IFGA lists the current All-Tackle World Record black crappie as a 5-pound fish that was caught on April 21, 2006 from a private lake in Missouri.

Juvenile black crappies feed almost exclusively on invertebrates before turning to a fish based diet. Young black crappies are preyed upon by many larger fish species including other species of sunfish, basses, pike, muskellunge and walleyes. Mature crappies will eat all types of small fish including perch, other sunfishes, shiners and other minnows, as well as bass and walleye fry. The preferred size of prey is between 1 and 3-inches. Due to their tall, slender profile, and their spiny dorsal and anal fins, adult black crappies are not a primary forage for other fish. Black crappies are a favorite target species of anglers due to their schooling tendencies and their willingness to bite both live and artificial baits. They are most often caught from clear, quiet, warm waters of sheltered bays, large ponds and areas of large rivers where the current is low. Black crappies have white, flaky flesh and are considered one of the tastiest of all freshwater fish. ?

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26 Real Fishing – Spring 2014

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JUNE

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By Jonathan LePera Jonathan LePera can be reached through Twitter @LePeraFishInk

Spring Crappies 30 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Spring 2014

It often seems like the more we have, the more we want. As I gaze out the window, all I want is for winter to end, the water to thaw and spring to arrive. Once the spring crappie bite is on I’ll want more fish, bigger fish, and even better days on the water. Crappies are a special kind of fish. For some they represent the best meal that swims while others appreciate the thrill of the chase and memories rekindled from their youth. Let’s see if we can use the expertise of top crappie anglers Joe Balog, Steve Delyea, Taro Murata and Bernie Balian to turn my dreams into your reality!

Spring 2014 – Real Fishing 31

Ontario is blessed with a plethora of awesome crappie waters ranging from the Lake of the Woods to the Great Lakes to small ditches and ponds. Steve Delyea and Bernie Balian both like the Kawartha Lakes region, especially Lake Scugog as it is one of the shallowest inland lakes and is one of the first to thaw. “Lakes in the Muskoka/Georgian Bay area peak later than the Kawarthas as most are deeper and take longer to warm and develop weed growth. Kawartha Lakes like Rice, Pigeon, and Sturgeon are all great. Also, many lakes in and around the Georgian Bay and Muskoka areas are respectable,” says Balian. Along with Lake Scugog, Steve Delyea names Cambellford’s Percy Boom, the Trent River System, and Rice Lake as top early season options.

CRAPPIES THROUGH THE SEASON It goes without saying that fish of any species will be quite sluggish immediately after the ice comes off and they will stay that way until the water temperature starts to rise. Crappies are especially predictable in how they relate to weather and they have many significant movements during the spring. Spring crappie movements can be divided into three main time periods: ice out through mid-June, the spawn, and post spawn. Early in the year, Joe Balog finds most of the crappies are bunched up in small groups. “At this time, it’s far better to troll around and look for them with a side imaging/scanning unit than to just fish randomly. You can see them up around docks, out in channels, and around various pieces of cover. Sunlight and wind are the key when the water is cold. I won’t usually fish until the afternoon in the early season,” noted Balog. “Even though crappies still hang in the shade at times in the spring, they love the warming water from the sun.” Taro Murata is very particular about what he looks for early in the season. “Once the ice comes off, look for calm water that warms the fastest and water that has some stain in it. Look for particles in the water as it could represent food. I look for calm backwater areas and once I find one I’ll dissect it, work my way through it, and find the warmest corner or some back 32 Real Fishing – Spring 2014

Shallow backwater areas are prime locations for early spring crappies

cut that will hold those awesome schools of crappie. The area could be the size of the hood of a car but chocked full of crappie.” Bernie Balian agrees that right after iceout crappies move into the warmest water areas they can find. “I believe water temperature around the 45°F to 50°F mark is when the fish first move in. The warmer water starts the food chain going by drawing minnows in and the crappies follow. Fishing can be very inconsistent as cold fronts seem to pull fish out and warmer days bring them back in. I think sunlight plays a role in the very early spring in helping to warm up the shallows and thus increase the activity of the fish. Hit it on the right day and you can catch a ton of fish. Very small baits and subtle movements are necessary to catch these fish. Minnows can help during this period.” As the season progresses, bright sunlight can have the opposite effect. “I’ve caught my largest crappies on calm, overcast, warm rainy days,” says Steve Delyea. “On the bright sunny days the crappies can be so skittish they will sometimes even use the bass boat as cover! That’s when banks, cane, undercuts, docks, and laydown trees become good places to look.” “As the season progresses, the best conditions for crappie are warm days that are muggy or overcast,” said Bernie Balian. “On bright, sunny days the fish will be tight to cover where they use the shade to help ambush their prey.” After the spawn and when the water warms up, Steve Delyea starts hunting crappies as they move off to the first weedline along sandy bottom areas in depths between 3 and 7-feet. Taro Murata also looks for areas with emergent weeds on sand. “For some reason, in the Kawarthas especially, once the water warms and the weeds

begin to grow, the crappies start to stack up,” said Taro. Bernie Balian acknowledges that crappies will begin to spread out as the water warms and the fish begin staging near their spawning areas. That’s when he’ll being looking for flats or cover nearby. “They spawn in a lot of the same backwater areas that they move into at ice-out. As the spawn proceeds, the males will move in along bushes, weed stalks, wood and other cover to prepare spawning beds and wait for the bigger females to come in to spawn.” Timing is everything and Balian is confident that he can generally catch the biggest female crappies during the early stages of the spawn since they seem to spawn first. Fish are generally more aggressive and easier to catch during this period and reaction baits can be effective at times. For Joe Balog, crappie fishing at this time reminds him of bass fishing. “You can fish them with cast and retrieve tactics using artificial baits just like bass fishing - casting to targets and cover from the comfort of the deck of your boat,” he says. Bernie Balian notes that, after the spawn, crappies begin to make their way out to the weed flats and will eventually disappear into their summer patterns, making them more difficult to target on a consistent basis. “I believe they are not schooled up as tightly and they take up residence on deeper weed lines and/or they suspend in deeper water for most of the summer with shallow movements in the evening and night time to feed.” If you are looking to maximize your time on the water, Balian suggests the low light periods of dawn and dusk. “If your timing is right, and you’re in the right place, you can almost see the crappies boiling on the surface to feed. They will often attack your floats popping on the surface!”

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TACKLE While all of the contributors to this article agree on the use of standard micro-sized tube jigs, creature baits, and grubs, each expert I talked to has his own spin on rigging and presentations. “I start out with small jigs,” said Joe Balog. “I then use small twisters and tubes, followed by cranks and roadrunners. I use a variety of ultralight rods and spinning reels spooled with 4-pound test braided line. My rods are a variety of lengths so I can cast floats with an 8-footer or shoot docks with a 5-foot rod.” Bernie Balian and Steve Delyea use ultralight to light rods from 5’6” to 7’ paired with small reels and 4 to 6-pound test monofilament line or 6 to 15-pound test braid.

Although early season crappies may be in a negative to neutral feeding mood, they can be tricked into biting. Murata will often resort to using a 9-foot noodle rod to dunk pockets in the weeds with his offerings. Murata is quick to caution that, “Nothing is ever 100% and I’m always changing and trying to get in the groove!” When it comes to jig weights, everyone agreed that 1/16 to 1/32-ounce were the mainstays with 1/8-ounce heads getting the nod when wind prevented the use of lighter baits and 1/64-ounce models for ultrafinesse presentations. Joe Balog chooses jig heads based on water depth, current, wind, and bait size. “In some places crappies bite really big baits - like three or four-inch grubs and tubes. In those cases you can get away with bigger terminal tackle. Many of the places I fish in the north, however, require smaller baits. I use a two to three-inch twister tail a lot with 1/32 to 1/8-ounce jigs. Fall rate is the big key. A little tail falls at the right speed on a 1/32-ounce head whereas a big tail is better on a 1/8-ounce jig and so on.”

COLOUR

“90% of my crappie fishing is done with small plastic jigs under a float,” offered Balian. “Personally I don’t use live bait although I’m sure at times it will out-produce artificials, especially when the water is very cold. I just enjoy trying to trick fish with artificial baits.” As a guide, Taro Murata always has to be on fish and be able to get them to bite so, during the most trying of times, he’ll resort to small emerald shiners. He rigs them on a super long leader with a tiny hook through the tail so they appear to be fleeing when they swim. Most of the time, however, he likes tiny hair jigs in pink, white or perch patterns, along with the standard plastics including fork-tailed minnow baits. 34 Real Fishing – Spring 2014

Joe Balog gives the nod to chartreuse baits in murky water conditions. At other times you should experiment until you find a colour the crappies prefer on that day. “I’ve seen where crappies turn on to a color, like pink or white, and it’s drastically better than other colours. This probably happens more with crappies than with anything. The best thing to do is to go into a local bait store and see what colours of tubes, roadrunners or twisters they are almost out of!” Steve Delyea relies heavy on hot pinks, whites, and pearls whereas Bernie Balian is a big proponent of switching things up until you find the colours that fire them up on the day you’re fishing.

Bernie Balian has one very key piece of information when pursuing crappie of any mood. “Crappies always feed upward, unlike perch, walleye and bass which will pick up food off the bottom. A crappie’s eyes are on top of their heads and always looking up so they will rise for a bait that is above them but they will rarely see a bait below them.” Balian will start with micro-crankbaits and mini-spinnerbaits but will revert to swimming small plastics on jigheads if needed. Setting floats with leads as short as 12inches at times is very productive; keep this in mind when using reaction baits as well. Joe Balog divides reaction baits into those that drop/glide/fall and those that would normally be associated with reactions, like crankbaits. “Baits that trigger crappies on the fall would be small twister tails and roadrunners. These baits, when cast to targets and allowed to free fall, pendulum style, trigger crappies to bite as they pass by their faces. Casting tandem rigged twister tails on 1/32ounce heads and 4-pound line catches me a lot of crappies. Also, when crappies are around riprap, cranks are unbeatable.” According to Taro Murata, crankbaits are very affective for huge crappies when they are actively and aggressively feeding. “Minnow baits can cover lots of water. Once the water warms up and fish scatter on sand/weed flats, mini-crankbaits excel!”

BOBBERS

REACTION BAITS Reaction baits have to be the most overlooked for pursuing spring crappies but they are definitely deadly once the water warms.

While many anglers grew up with the old reliable red and white bobber, crappie fishing is definitely not the place for them! Taro Murata actually orders special floats that are egg-shaped and filled with rattles as he likes to “walk” his bobber during his retrieve. He’ll keep his bait somewhat close

to the float so it swings side-to-side, enticing any crappies that cross its path. Steve Delyea prefers slip floats because he’s come to learn that crappies can become quite moody throughout the day, ascending and descending in the water column and moving in and out of the shallows. The slip float allows him to easily adjust the depth of his bait. Bernie Balian prefers the slip float because it allows him to make pin-point

casts to the specific targets that crappies might be holding on. “When weighted properly, you can almost pop it in place without moving it out of the strike zone. You can also swim the bait and stop it, which should cause the bait to lift and then come back down. I think this triggers fish as they feel like their meal is getting away and they had better strike before it’s too late. Alternatively, I like to use a fixed float with an extremely light jighead to give a slow, “fall and swing” type of action. When the float hits the water the light jig swings its way down slowly. When you give the rod a pull the bait will rise and then swing back down gain. Both can be very effective.”

SHORELINE PURSUITS Shore fishing enables boatless anglers to enjoy crappie fishing and it can be just as productive as fishing from a boat. Young Niagara Region shore fishing ace, Chris Fazari, recommends keeping noise to a minimum. Yelling over to your fishing partners is enough to spook a school and cause them

to relocate. Heavy footsteps on the bank or on docks can have the same negative effect. Admittedly, the lack of sonar makes fish finding a little more difficult but he recommends using the shoreline to your advantage. To that end, Fazari does not stay in the same spot for long. Even if fish are slamming a particular offering, he’s quick to change up baits to keep them biting or to fire-up the school again.

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Spring 2014 – Real Fishing 35

Bernie Bailan also recognizes the effectiveness of shore fishing for crappies. “Truly this is one of the best times of year to fish from shore because fish are often located in protected coves, back bays and marinas. You can easily access the fish and long casts are not necessary.” Taro Murata suggests that, when fishing from shore, he wouldn’t change much from his boating approach. “In the spring I would walk around back canals, still water, water with old lily pad roots, emerging lily pad stems or cane where you can see fish start to nest in. From shore you can stalk those fish and get a really good look at the area without the fish knowing that you are there.”

FINDING BIG FISH Big crappies, those in the 12-inch and greater range, are true trophies and are the ones we’d like to catch on every outing, but they don’t come easily. “Finding giant crappies comes down to the year class of the fish, timing, watching water temperatures and spending numerous days on the water,” says Steve Delyea. Steve believes that a stealthy approach is almost always the best approach and is absolutely key in shallow back bays or canals. He believes that sound echoes so he is adamant about using super-slow trolling speeds and he is especially careful when deploying and stowing his trolling motor. When he locates big fish he is quick to punch the waypoint into his GPS as those places will replenish with similar quality fish year after year.

36 Real Fishing – Spring 2014

Bernie Balian and Taro Murata execute similar techniques when searching for bigger than average crappies. Both believe that being stealthy includes making longer casts to specific types of cover - like a bush or a stump on a point with a little deeper water than the rest of the area, or new stems of lily pad growth. Balian is quick to point out that, “The bigger fish will usually take the best piece of cover for themselves.” Joe Balog believes that large crappies will usually take up residence by themselves in small schools. “If you go in an area and catch 10 crappies that are all 7 to 9-inches, that’s pretty much all you’re going to catch. Bigger fish will often times be deeper, or shallower, or in thicker brush, or on a subtle spot or isolated cover item. Stealth is important when pursuing anything. Maybe it’s because we have clear water in this part of the world, but I see bass spook when spawning, I see perch spook under ice, I see walleyes spook from the shadow of a boat. So I’m always stealthy.” Crappie fishing is one of the first open water angling opportunities once spring finally arrives. Instead of doing yard work, tuning up the lawnmower, or re-organizing your tackle boxes, grab your panfish gear and head for your favorite haunts. Crappie fishing is meant to be fun and you don’t have to break the bank buying to be successful. Keep it simple and you might just surprise yourself with a slab or two for the frying pan! ?

KEEP INSECTS OFF There’s nothing like relaxing with friends over a great meal of fresh crappies after a successful day on the water. But, nothing can spoil the experience as much as having your fish fry turned into a war zone by mosquitos, flies, wasps and other annoying bugs that invade your outdoor kitchen and dining areas. We talked to the folks at SC Johnson about this problem and they let us in on a threepronged approach to dealing with invading insects. Step one is to use OFF!® Explore™ Area Bug Spray around the perimeter of your yard or campsite. This insectkilling aerosol provides a fogging action over a large area to kill flies, mosquitoes, wasps and hornets before they ever reach your entertaining area. Step two is to control any mosquitos that make it onto your deck, patio or campsite with the OFF!® PowerPad® Lantern. Simply activate the repellent pad by lighting the candle and the heat from the candle activates the pad, releasing mosquito protection. One Lantern offers you up to 4.5 meters of protection from mosquitos for up to 4-hours. Step three is to arm yourself with the OFF! Clip On® for personal protection when you move out of your secured area. This unique device has a quiet, battery-powered fan that circulates odorless repellent around you. Within minutes it creates a head-to-toe zone of mosquito protection. Simply clip it to your belt or purse for up to 11-hours of sprayless protection. Don’t let annoying insects ruin an otherwise perfect day in the outdoors. Apply this threepronged protection plan and enjoy your time outside.

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Scratching the Surface

Topwater 38 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Spring 2014

By Mark Forabosco

One of the most touching stories that I have ever

Mark Forabosco is an avid muskie angler and author of Lords of the Lake, a book related to muskie fishing in Ontario. (markforabosco@hotmail.com)

heard was that of an old fishing and hunting guide on his deathbed, and his son who was there by his side. All of a sudden the old man’s arms started to move and he began to shoot at ducks that were no longer there. Then, shaking back and forth, his hands made a reeling motion. After this went on for a time the old man opened his eyes, looked up at his son, and spoke. “I was dreaming about every duck hunt, every walleye and, most of all, every large muskie that I ever caught.” That story never left me and I often wondered what the sport of muskie fishing must have meant to the old man as it was his last and most prominent memory of his time on the water. As outdoorsmen, we all have a thousand-and-one adventures over our lifetimes. I still remember when I shot my first turkey - I must have jumped four-feet into the air and my whooping could be heard across the valley. (I was much younger then!) Another was my first encounter with a big buck, and my first case of buck fever, all at the same time. It’s these experiences that keep pulling us back, fuelling our daydreams at work, it’s what we live to do. But there are a few, just one or two, that are slightly more special than the rest. The one moment that seared itself deep into my memory happened on a Tweed lake a number of years ago and it involves an old muskie.

for

Muskies Spring 2014 – Real Fishing 39

I was on a much needed solo vacation, trying to get away from the real world for a week, hoping to catch a muskie or two. It was late afternoon when I drifted back into some nameless bay with a shoreline littered with lily pads and broken stumps. Thick weeds were visible below the water’s surface and there was the occasional ancient maple tree, resting peacefully half in and half out of the lake, probably blown over from some winter storm years before. In the corner of the bay were a couple of local kids tossing spinners for pike. All of a sudden a large silhouette broke the surface and, with the kick of a massive sweeping tail, disappeared.

box I decided to place my faith in one of the first surface baits ever made for catching muskies - a Pflueger Globe. Now at this point in my angling career I knew as much about topwater fishing for muskies as I did about hunting elephants. But, as a kid I often caught smallmouth bass on Jitterbugs so how different could this be! I snuck back into that bay as quiet as a mouse, picked out the nearest opening to where I last saw that fish and let go with a cast. The lure sat motionless for about 10seconds and then, on my second turn of the reel, the whole world erupted. It looked as if someone just dropped a 100-gallon barrel

The History of Topwater Fishing for Muskies Historically it wasn’t in the Ontario angler’s forte to chase muskies with surface lures. This technique actually began south of the border in Wisconsin, on waters like the Chippewa Flowage. After World War II, many people on summer vacation from the big city would either drive or take the train to Hayward, Wisconsin and rent a cabin on “The Chip”, as it is known. There they would fish out of cedar strip boats and, with a guide on the oars, fish the days and evenings away throwing surface lures over shallow water weedbeds. Over the years a number of trophy fish, up to and passing the 40-pound mark, have come out of this system. To this very day “The Chip” receives a steady stream of tourism from topwater muskie anglers looking to fish its historic waters. It has only been in the last few years that the concept of pursuing muskellunge with surface baits has gained a strong foothold in southern Ontario.

Three Old Reliables

The first kid looked at the second kid with disgust and said, “No wonder we can’t get any pike here with those muskies around!” They then packed up and skedaddled out of there. I, on the other hand, was mumbling something under my breath about that being a 30-pound class fish and my little brain was feverishly trying to come up with a scheme that could put that old girl in my net by the day’s end. I gingerly backed out of there, devised a plan and returned at dusk, ready for a showdown. As a muskie angler I was very traditional in my approach, trolling over deep water humps with time proven body baits, throwing large spinners over weedbeds or tossing jerkbaits over rocks. But this was going to be something altogether different because the only way to get close to that fish, without hanging up on weeds, was to use a surface bait. After rummaging around in my tackle 40 Real Fishing – Spring 2014

into the bay! The surrounding area boiled for another 20-seconds before the water stopped churning. I, on the other hand, was a bloody mess trying desperately to push my heart back down my throat, collect myself, and stop my knees from shaking. I hounded that fish for five more days and only at dusk, in almost the same location every evening, did she make a return appearance and play me for the fool. In fact, I missed her on four separate occasions before I left to go home. About three-weeks later I heard that someone had landed a 50incher out of that bay and that the fish didn’t make it because it was badly hooked. I hoped that it wasn’t the old girl I had found because the memories she left me with were priceless. Since that time I have been fortunate and landed some very fine fish, along with a few real trophies. But, to this day I can honestly say that experience was my most memorable on the water.

The sport of muskie angling has grown exponentially in the last 10-years and so have the lure manufacturers that supply it. There are literally dozens of topwater lures available on the market today. In fact, in one muskie lure catalog I counted over 90 types of surface baits made by some 20-plus manufacturers. The majority of these lures are similar in shape and design and because of that I’ve decided to talk about three of my favorite, original topwater lures. The most popular muskie surface lure of all time has to be the Pflueger Globe. This is the lure that started it all; it gained its notoriety on the Chippewa flowage and that is where its name became commonplace with muskie anglers.

In 1922 the Globe was first introduced to the angling public and it lasted for over 50years, until production ended in the mid1970s. What I appreciate most about this marvelous bait is how easy it is to fish. It doesn’t involve any great deal of fine tuning

- for the most part just tie it on and go. The Globe is a versatile lure inasmuch as it can be fished not only during calm conditions, but also quite successfully in rough water. You need to reel at a moderate pace as this isn’t the type of lure that you burn across the top of the lake. Watch young ducks as they swim or small mammals like muskrats. Unless alarmed, they maintain an even, relaxed speed. Keep that in mind on every retrieve. What some of the old time muskie

men used to do to modify the vibration and sound of the Globe was loosen the screws that hold the propeller in place or remove them completely from the head of the lure. The Surf Oreno lure, created by the South Bend Company in 1916, actually hit the muskie market quite by accident as they were originally made for largemouth bass. It didn’t take long before anglers started to get wise to the fact that the local muskie population had a strong attraction to this bait and, by the 1930s, South Bend modified this lure with a larger body and thicker wiring and hooks so it could handle these larger predators. The Surf Oreno lasted over 50years before production ceased in 1970. This artificial is as equally capable in rough water as it is under calm, flat conditions. Black and yellow have always been considered to be the two most effective colours.

In my opinion the Heddon Crazy Crawler is, hands down, the most enjoyable topwater lure to fish with. This lure lives up to its title and is perfectly suited to being fished slowly in calm water. The Crawler sways from side to side in what I like to call the derelict-drunk breaststroke. Even if the fishing is slow you can’t help but enjoy watching this lure do its dance. Designed by a Mr. Jim Donaly in the 1920s as the WOW, Heddon purchased the patent in 1939, renamed the lure and contin42 Real Fishing – Spring 2014

ued production until the mid-1960s. Several updated versions of this classic bait are still being manufactured today.

Topwater Seasons and Conditions By the end of May those cold, frosty mornings should be nothing more than a distant memory and if St. Hubert, the patron saint of hunters, remembered you in his prayers, your turkey tag should be filled! With that, you have no more distractions and there is plenty of time to prepare for the opening day of muskie season. Most anglers prefer to fish smaller baits early in the season but that doesn’t mean that surface lures won’t work. Shallow sandy bays and feeder streams are often the first places where the water warms up and many fish will locate in these areas, or in

Dusk is always an excellent time to put away the trolling rod and start covering rock piles or weed beds in water less than 15-feet deep. For the most part that is where you will have the most success. I’ve always been partial to the theory that the muskies who hang out in the nearest deep water will often move shallow at dusk to feed. As for the muskies that are located

close proximity to them. Here, muskies will take time to rest after spawning. The majority of the fish you encounter will be males, but don’t think it’s an anomaly if you happen to hook into a large female, especially if it happens over a shallow, sandy bottom. A friend of mine went to a Kawartha lake on opening morning last year and landed six fish, three of them on topwaters! Sometimes old ideas die a slow death, as with the line of thinking held by many anglers that July and August are the only times to fish up top. The fall is usually thought of as the time to troll with large body baits but it can offer some great topwater action as well. Just because it’s past Labour Day it doesn’t mean those lures must be relegated to the bottom of the tackle box. If the weather is stable, and the water temperature stays above 64°F, the muskies will co-operate. Under ideal conditions you can fish these baits into early October.

in the shallows throughout the day, I believe that as the heat of the day subsides their activity will increase. It’s not often that anglers use topwaters in the middle of the day. They certainly work but, as I said earlier, old ideas die hard. Here is an example of how using a surface lure during the day can pay dividends. It’s a typical humid, sunny July afternoon and dark clouds start to roll in. The water starts to get a chop and the barometer is on the move. This is an excellent time to change baits and start working the surface. Under the right conditions you just might have a truly memorable experience. Muskies are forever the great opportunists and, if a duckling or a careless mammal gets into their strike zone, it’s just like ringing the dinner bell. These are some of the natural prey that surface baits emulate and it is for that reason that topwaters put so many fish into the boat.

SLOW AND STEADY

The hardest and most important lesson to learn when you enter this arena is when to set the hook. It’s a learning process and you’re going to miss some fish, that’s just the way it is. The best piece of advice that I can give you is, wait until you feel the weight of the fish before you set the hook. I say this because you’ll often see a fish following, or even blowing up on your lure, before it has made physical contact with the bait. In that moment of excitement it’s very easy to automatically set the hook. Try to hold off until you feel the weight of the fish - then set the

hooks hard. A reputable, low-stretch braided line, and a medium-heavy action rod will help you get better and more consistent hook sets, which equals fewer fish lost. You’re probably thinking to yourself, this is all well and good, but the lures he has recommended went extinct over three-decades ago. And you would be correct in that assertion; these lures have gone the way of the dodo. But the good news is that there are dozens of manufacturers still making these types of surface baits. I’m not going to proclaim from the highest mountain that this

With regards to retrieve speeds, stay at a moderate pace. You do not burn a wooden topwater bait as you would a buzzbait. It is important to remember that the only time you may want to increase the speed of your lure is if you have a muskie following, since sometimes a slight burst in speed can trigger a reaction strike. If you have reached the edge of the boat and the fish is still trailing your bait, you have two options. The first, and my choice, instead of doing a figure-eight, try working the lure in a large circle. I say this because larger muskies often have a difficult time making the tight turn on a figure-eight as compared to going in a large, circular pattern. Some anglers prefer the alternative of simply walking the lure around the boat and I have seen this work on more than one occasion.

method will produce more or larger fish then the alternatives. But what I will say is this: if you want to experience a true thrill and riveting excitement like no other, where that moment is frozen in time, put on a topwater and try scratching the surface for muskellunge. ?

Spring 2014 – Real Fishing 43

By Dr. Bruce Tufts Dr. Bruce Tufts is a university professor and fisheries biologist who supervises the Freshwater Fisheries Conservation Lab at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.

Growing Great Lakes Smallmouth 44 Real Fishing – Spring 2014

Over the past several years Great Lakes bass anglers, especially smallmouth anglers, have been catching fish of unprecedented sizes and in record numbers. Where once a 4-pound smallmouth was considered a good fish, that same fish today barely raises an eyebrow because 5, 6 and even 7-pound smallmouth bass are becoming almost common catches. Five fish tournament limits weighing in the 20-pound range used to assure anglers of a top-10 finish or better; nowadays that isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always the case. It seems that weights are rising at every event and the 30-pound mark for 5 fish has been reached in more than one tournament. So whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going on? Why are smallmouth growing so large and why are there so many of these giants swimming around on the big waters? We talked to noted fisheries biologist Dr. Bruce Tufts about the phenomenon to see if he could shed some light on why bass are getting so big and what it means for the future of Great Lakes bass fishing.

Spring 2014 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Real Fishing 45

In order to properly manage and conserve fisheries, it’s essential to have a good understanding of the biology of the targeted species. Obviously, there are many other factors that need to be considered, including the peculiar behaviour of anglers. Without a good grasp of the biology of fish populations, however, we are truly “working in the dark”. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are among the most highly studied fish species in North America. Because of their popularity among anglers, and their tremendous economic value, the scientific literature is full of studies on bass. It is interesting to note, however, that the vast majority of these studies are based on bass populations in small to medium sized lakes and reservoirs. In contrast, studies on the biology of bass populations in vast bodies of water, such as the Great Lakes, are relatively rare. There are a number of factors that make Great Lakes ecosystems and their fisheries unique. For example, the extraordinary volume of water in these systems takes much longer to heat up in summer and to cool down in winter. Since the timing of the spawning seasons for largemouth and smallmouth bass are dependent on water temperatures, the windows for spawning are therefore significantly later than those on smaller lakes. In provinces such as Ontario, this means that the start of the

46 Real Fishing – Spring 2014

angling season has much greater potential to overlap with the timing of bass spawning on the Great Lakes. Food webs in the Great Lakes are also affected by invasive species that are not typically found in smaller inland lakes. In recent times, several of these invaders have caused profound changes in Great Lakes ecosystems and fisheries. Zebra mussels, for example, have paved the way for the proliferation of largemouth bass in places like the Bay of Quinte because of their impacts on water clarity and aquatic vegetation. Another recent invader, the round goby, has the potential to have a huge impact on bass. While this species is a great new food source for bass, their sheer numbers, aggressive nature and diet preferences make them a significant new threat during the bass spawning season. In terms of angling, an argument can also be made that Great Lakes bass fisheries have historically had less pressure than most inland lakes. Due to factors such as weather and distance from shore, much of the potential bass habitat in the Great Lakes is difficult for anglers to access during many days of the year. The net effect of these unique aspects of Great Lakes ecosystems seems to be positive for bass at the present time. Much of the available evidence suggests that Great Lakes bass, especially smallmouth, are currently thriving. Winning weights for tournaments on the Great Lakes have been extraordinary in recent years. In some events, five-fish limits weighing over 20pounds don’t even make the top ten! In Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, bass in the 5

to 6-pound range are now common. We’ve recently seen several smallmouth caught on Lake Ontario that topped 7-pounds and one fish of over 8-pounds was weighed in during a tournament on Lake Erie in 2013. These are certainly interesting times for Great Lakes bass fisheries. There has been a steady increase in bass tournaments on the Great Lakes over the past few years. Although these waters can be very intimidating under some conditions,

GREAT LAKES BASS RESEARCH The Lake Ontario bass study began as a small scale effort at the Canadian Open in Kingston, Ontario, but in the past year has generated a great deal of financial and logistical support. The study has evolved into a collaborative scientific effort that now includes the OMNR’s most experienced bass scientist, Dr. Mark Ridgway, additional OMNR staff from Glenora, as well as Queen’s University. In addition to the growth and diet information described here, we are also including a large scale, multi-year, tagging effort as part of this study, which we hope will provide some much needed information about the natural movements of bass in this huge system, as well as their re-distribution after tournaments. Further information about this study can be found at fisheriesqu.ca

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today’s bigger, faster boats and better electronics are allowing anglers to travel long distances and target fish with pinpoint accuracy. Word is also getting out about these fisheries and the lure of huge fish is attracting more non-tournament anglers to these water bodies as well. When the Canadian Open of Fishing was held in Kingston a few years ago, a few of us decided that this event - Canada’s largest bass tournament - might present a unique opportunity to learn more about the biology of bass on the Great Lakes. The rationale was that this type of initiative would allow us to proactively obtain a much better understanding of this incredible bass fishery so that we could ensure that it would be sustainable for years to come, rather than waiting to react at some point later if the fishery started to decline. A major tournament such as this would also provide us with a relatively inexpensive opportunity to sample a larger number of adult bass than would ever be possible using standard fisheries assessment approaches. Although we are only two-years into this multi-year study, some of the early results are proving to be very interesting. One of the first things that we hoped to determine about the bass from Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River (both targets of anglers in this event) was the relationship between size and age for individuals from both species (largemouth and smallmouth) weighed in at this event. From a fisheries management perspective, this information is very important because it 48 Real Fishing – Spring 2014

would determine whether the impressive size of these fish is due to the fact that they are extremely old individuals that might have received little fishing pressure in the past, or whether it is due to the fact that these fish are simply growing fast. Depending on which of these scenarios is true, the resilience of the population to future fishing pressure might be quite a bit different. Interestingly, our results to date show that the second scenario is closer to the truth, although there are also some fish showing up that provide support for the first scenario. The approaches used to obtain the ages of fish are somewhat dependent on the The dark bands on this otolith (ear bone) indicate that this Lake Ontario smallmouth was 17-years old.

species in question. In theory, almost any calcified structure (scales, fin rays, ear bones etc.) can be used. The basic principle behind all of the approaches is that there will be annual patterns in the growth of the fish, and in their calcified structures, caused by seasonal changes in metabolism. In very simple terms, the age can be determined by counting the rings in these calcified structures in much the same way that we can use the rings on the cross section of a tree to determine its age. In bass, scales are a reliable indicator of fish age up until about eight or nine-years old. After this age, there can be too much wear and tear on scales and they are no longer reliable. For bass that are 10-years or older, the otoliths (ear bones) provide a more reliable structure to age the fish. Using scale samples, we’ve determined that the vast majority of the smallmouth bass weighed in at the Kingston Canadian Open were six and seven-year olds. There were also a number of four and five-year old fish caught at this event. So, the answer to our first question is that Lake Ontario smallies are not big simply because they are old fish. To put this into perspective, smallmouth can actually reach 20-years of age in some Ontario lakes. Additional analyses of the ear bones from Lake Ontario bass revealed a smallmouth that was 17-years old and several others between 10 and 15years old. Further evidence that something interesting is happening to the relative size of

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smallmouth from Lake Ontario came from a comparison between our recent data and that from a previous study on the same population. When the two data sets were compared, we could see that the average size of a smallmouth from Lake Ontario at any given age has increased dramatically in recent years. What could be causing an increase in the growth rates of Lake Ontario smallmouth? At least part of the answer was found in the stomachs of the few fish that didn’t survive after the tournament. In addition to sampling, measuring and tagging bass that were released alive after the weigh-in, another aspect of our study at the Kingston Canadian Open has been to collect any fish that don’t survive the tournament and bring them back to the lab at Queen’s for further analyses. What we found was that the vast majority of the critters that we could identify in the stomachs of these fish were round gobies. This wasn’t the case a few decades ago. Round gobies are a relatively new invasive species in Lake Ontario that were accidentally introduced into the Great Lakes from ship’s ballast in the 1990s. Their aggressive nature and opportunistic feeding habits quickly led to a population explosion. A recent study estimated that there are now almost a billion gobies in the near-shore areas of Lake Ontario! Not surprisingly, many of the lake’s top predators, including smallmouth bass, are now targeting this new prey item. In smallmouth, the abundant new food supply also seems to have contributed to an increase in growth rates. The invasive round goby is becoming a preferred food source for Great Lakes bass.

50 Real Fishing – Spring 2014

Prior to the arrival of gobies, the main prey items for smallmouth in Lake Ontario were crayfish, alewife and a variety of small native fish species. Although the results are very preliminary, another emerging pattern within our results is that the diet of largemouth bass in eastern Lake Ontario is much more diversified than that of smallmouth, and does not appear to include nearly as many gobies. At any given age, the size of largemouth from eastern

Lake Ontario is also significantly less than that of smallmouth. While not conclusive at this stage, these results would explain why most tournaments on Lake Ontario are won with bags of smallmouth these days. The differences in diet between these two species are important pieces of information for anglers fishing this water body. On top of changes in the bass’ food web, climate change has been occurring in the Great Lakes basin and this can have positive effects on bass populations. The connection between summer growing conditions and smallmouth year class production was first made on the Great Lakes in the 1950s. Back then, by using scales for age estimation, biologists showed year classes were hit and miss – some years produced good bass cohorts while other years did not - and this pattern was based on how good the first summer growing season was for young bass. Now, year-class production may be more consistent from year-to-year because growing conditions are more favourable from one year to the next. For anglers, that means that the bass fishing should continue to improve and huge smallmouth will become more and more common for the foreseeable future. ?

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There’s More Than One By Wes David

Every angler I know has headed out for a day of fishing with big plans to target one species of fish only to find that their targeted species, on that particular day, has the proverbial case of lockjaw. The species of fish the angler is targeting is in a negative feeding pattern and unwilling to bite any of the lures or jigs presented to them. As the angler rifles through his or her tacklebox, tying on a variety of lures and jigs and testing different retrieves with the new bait, the fish are still unwilling to bite. I’ve done it many times myself and have wasted many a day of fishing with minimal to no hookups. Call it stubbornness or an unwillingness to learn, either way; it’s a day of fishing that we will never get back.

Spring 2014 – Real Fishing 53

Throughout Canada we are blessed with some of the best freshwater fishing the world has to offer. In 91% of Canada’s freshwater lakes, rivers, and streams swim more than one species of fish for anglers to take advantage of. If one species isn’t willing to bite our offerings we can quickly turn our attention to another species. However, many anglers rarely do this and they may end up wasting a day of fishing. For some reason, anglers will spend hours casting, trolling or jigging for fish that have no interest in chasing down their baits. The same bait and presentation that’s not working today may have been the hot bait and presentation yesterday; and it might be tomorrow; but today it just isn’t getting results. Knowing that fish can turn on and off like a light switch, I’ve learned to swallow my pride and turn my attention to another species within the water body I’m fishing in order to turn a slow day of fishing into a great one. The first time I truly took advantage of a multiple species lake was over 10-years ago. We were fishing Lake Minnewanka, a glacier lake tucked into the eastern portion of Banff National Park, within Alberta’s Rocky Mountains. Lake trout are the dominant species but there is also a healthy population of Rocky Mountain whitefish that are rarely targeted by anglers. We arrived at the lake at 5:00 am, anticipating an aggressive lake trout bite. The screen on our graph was full of lake trout, suspended between 90 and 120-feet of water, so we set the downriggers and sent our favorite lures into the depths. Hours

54 Real Fishing – Spring 2014

passed as we trolled our baits through hundreds of lake trout with minimal hookups. We worked our so-called “go to” spots thoroughly and tried many other locations with no success. We tried everything we had in our tackleboxes and even sent down a variety of silver and white jigs to imitate the whitefish which are the main food source for the lake trout. However, even the slow moving, downsized baits dangling in front of the lake trout produced no hookups. It was hard to do but we admitted defeat at 2:00 pm and turned our attention to the second most abundant species within the lake. As much as I love catching lake trout on Lake Minnewanka, like any fish they’re not always willing to work with an angler’s fishing schedule. The whitefish in Lake Minnewanka, however, are rarely targeted by anglers and are abundant and eager to bite a hook. My favorite bait presentation for them is a #6, yellow coloured wire J-hook not much bigger than my thumbnail. I use two split-shots, eight inches above my hook, to help get the bait down to the fish. I’ve had whitefish take this bait as it sat on the bottom or as I held it as high as two-feet off the bottom. In either case, the key is letting the bait sit motionless. Whitefish have

thin mouths so setting the hook is as simple as lifting your rod and fighting the fish to the boat. The whitefish were more than willing to take our offerings and, as we caught and released one after another, we quickly forgot about our misfortune with the stubborn lake trout. We spent four-hours catching and releasing whitefish and it turned out to be an incredible afternoon on the water. More recently, I was on a salmon fishing trip on the Harrison River, in British Columbia’s, Fraser Valley. I had enlisted services of the BC Sportfishing Group to guide me down the river to fly fish for mature salmon. I was anxious to land my first salmon and my guide did everything in his power to make it happen, however, after four-hours of casting a variety of flies and baits it was clear that the salmon were more occupied with the anticipated spawn than in taking my offerings. With 18-years of guiding experience on the Harrison River, my guide had seen this before and knew when to shift gears and focus on another species. My prayers were answered when my guide pulled out the stout saltwater rods and said with a smile that we would be going after sturgeon. The Harrison River is connected to the Fraser River and both systems support healthy populations of prehistoric sturgeon. After my guide tied on an eight-ounce ball weight and baited my #6/0 barbless J-hook with a large bag of salmon eggs, I cast it

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into the river. My confidence was still a little shaken from the slow morning of salmon fishing but that was quickly forgotten when my rod tip bowed over. I set the hook hard, as per my instructions, and was instantly doing battle with my first prehistoric sturgeon. A five-footer had taken the bait and, after a 10-minute fight, I landed my first dinosaur. We fished in three different locations along the river during the day and caught and released seven sturgeon in four-hours, including the biggest fish I’ve ever landed an eight-foot, 200-pound monster that may have been older than me. The morning salmon trip was all but forgotten and replaced by an incredible afternoon of sturgeon fishing. My day of fishing was saved because my guide knew when it was time to switch things up and target another species. Walleye are one of Canada’s most sought-after freshwater species, both for the challenges and rewards they provide, and they’re rated one of Canada’s tastiest freshwater fish. But walleye can be very temperamental. I’ve fished them for over 20-years, both for pleasure and under tournament conditions, and, if there’s one species of fish that can turn on and feed aggressively one minute and not even look at the same bait the next minute, it’s walleye.

I was fishing for walleye in northern Saskatchewan last summer and the bite was incredible. Over the first two days we lost count of the number of fish we caught and released. It was one of the best walleye fishing outings I’ve ever had. On the third day we awoke to find that a cold front had moved in. We bundled up and, with our confidence high from the previous two-days, headed to the first of our many walleye hotspots only to find the screen of our graph full of fish that were unwilling to take the same offering they fed

on so aggressively only eight-hours earlier. Throughout the morning we had the same results at all of our hotspots and, as hard as we tried, we never landed a walleye.

The great thing about walleye lakes is that there’s always another fish species swimming within them so we pointed our boat to the first of several weedbeds and sunken humps and slowly fished over them. It wasn’t long before we were taking full advantage of the more-than-willing-to-bite northern pike. Northern pike have bailed me out of a slow day of fishing more than once. Abundant in most lakes, they are aggressive predators that are willing to take a variety of baits. We worked the boat along the edge of the weedbeds casting jigs, spoons, and a variety of topwater baits and there was rarely a cast that a pike didn’t take our offering. The pike we were catching were 56 Real Fishing – Spring 2014

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nothing huge, ranging from 4 to 15pounds, but they were eager to bite when the walleye were not. We were having so much fun catching and releasing our secondary species that we hardly noticed the rain that eventually forced us off the lake.

The next morning we decided to target perch in a shallow bay at the far end of the lake so we threw our float tubes into the boat and headed across the water. After reaching the bay we inflated our float tubes and tied 1/16th-ounce jigs tipped with a small piece of nightcrawler, to our light-action rods. We were fishing in 6 to 10-feet of water, enjoying the stealth of our float tubes, and in no time we were into a school of perch. The surprise came when I felt an overly aggressive tug on my line, set the hook and began the fight. As the fish pulled line from my reel, I was convinced I was fighting the next world record perch but when the fish came to the net I was pleasantly surprised to see a two-pound walleye. And then it began. Both walleye and pike had moved into the bay to feed on the perch. We caught all three species of fish and never left the shallow bay for the rest of the day. It’s not uncommon for these three species of fish to be in the same lakes and I’ve had multiple walleye, pike, and perch experiences across the country. Fly fishing on streams and rivers is no different. Each will have more than one fish species swimming within it and it’s not uncommon for different species to use the same areas of the system at the same time. On several different occasions I’ve been fly fishing and have landed a different fish species on each cast. Anyone who’s had the good fortune of fishing with a professional guide knows that guides are always trying different lures and baits to increase their client’s odds and 58 Real Fishing – Spring 2014

it’s not uncommon to catch two or more different species in a day. This is especially true in the case of saltwater anglers and guides. During a family vacation in Hawaii last February, I spent a day jigging the offshore reefs and landed 17 different species of fish using only three different baits. The captain would position the boat upwind of the reef and slowly drift over the top of it. I noticed is that each species would use a different portion of the reef, similar to our freshwater fish using a piece of lake structure. Smaller, colourful reef fish were located along the top of the reefs while larger predator species patrolled the edges. It’s a rare occasion when I launch my boat on a lake that I’ve never fished before without first doing a little homework to find out which species of fish are in the lake. Having this knowledge, and the tackle to target each species, has played a key role in

my successes on the water. More importantly is knowing when to swallow my pride when my targeted species isn’t willing to take my offering and focusing on a second or even third species within the same lake. By doing this I’ve increased my successes rate a hundred times over and, on occasion, I’ve turned a slow day of fishing into an incredible one. ?

Tales from the Road By Bob Izumi

For about the first 20-years of my fishing career I was so busy doing promotional work, seminars, taping the TV show and tournament fishing that I really didn’t have time to do a lot of “fun” trips so, in the last few years, I’ve decided to include some family fun trips in my travels. Now that the kids are grown up I realize that I spent so much time working that I kind of missed them growing up. I wouldn’t say that I’m trying to make up for lost time, but nowadays I see the importance of getting those trips in without tying them to something work-related. inshore and offshore and we caught some beautiful roosterfish, some big jacks, snappers and a number of other fish. We even did a little bike riding when we weren’t fishing. Judging by my winter weight at the time of this writing, I think I should have done a bit more bike riding while we were there! Overall it was a fun trip and it was great spending time with family and friends. I just wish we could have stayed longer. Immediately after returning from Costa Rica I renewed my Ontario Outdoors Card for three-years. I don’t recall getting a

Just before Christmas we decided to head down to Zancudo Lodge in Costa Rica for a family trip. My wife and I, our son Darren and his girlfriend, my brother Wayne and his wife Jocelyn, and Brian Hughes and his extended family decided to hook up for a little getaway. There are so many aspects of Costa Rica that you can fall in love with. The climate, the scenery and the wonderful people all make Costa Rica one of those dream destinations. I can see why it’s so popular with tourists. Every year I see more and more Canadians going down there. I have to admit that, on this particular trip, fishing was involved. We fished both 60 Real Fishing – Spring 2014

reminder that it was coming due so, for any of you Ontario residents, make sure you renew your outdoors card if you plan on fishing this season. Then it was time to just hang out and kick back during the Christmas holidays. As the years go by I find that it’s nice to just sort of turn everything off, enjoy family and friends and take it easy. After the holidays it was back to work. I did a number of interviews over the course of the winter, attended sponsor meetings, marketing meetings and got a lot of our TV production work done. There were shows to edit, voiceovers to write, video to preview and a lot of those types of things that needed to get done during the winter months. I have fished the Renegade Bass tournament trail with my son, Darren, on and off for a number of years now and I really enjoy getting out to eastern Ontario to compete in that regional circuit. They’re a great bunch of guys out there so when Paul Shibata asked me to be a guest on his Renegade Radio Show I was happy to do it. I’ve done his show a number of times and it’s always great because Paul is so insightful on the world of angling. He makes doing interviews very easy because he knows all of the right things to talk about. In early February went down to the

Toronto International Boat Show where Mercury Marine was having a party celebrating their 75th Anniversary. They brought in one of the Canadian Idol winners and his band to sing and the whole event was a lot of fun. I was very happy to be part of it. Being surrounded by boats and Mercury outboards sure brought back a lot of memories. As I stood there talking to a lot of old and new acquaintances I realized that I’ve been with Mercury for a long time; since around 1980. They were my first official sponsor and I started working with them well before I had the TV show. It’s funny to think of how the years have flown by and I’m still working with them. There’s no question that I’m like a kid in a candy store when I get to the Boat Show so I decided to go back again after being there for the party. I went back a few days later to check out all of the new products and, while I was there, I spent some time in both the Ranger and the Lund booths. I have to say that going to these shows and getting to check out the latest and greatest models is almost as good as being on the water! Then it was off to Lake Simcoe where the folks from Pure Fishing Canada - the parent company of Berkley, Abu Garcia, Spiderwire, Stren, Fenwick, Shakespeare,

Sebile and a number of other brands - had the fishing department people from Canadian Tire out for a day of fishing. My brother, Wayne, and I took the SnoBear up and joined them on a very frigid day to fish for perch. We caught hundreds of little ones but not as many bigger ones as I would have liked. Despite that, we had a lot of fun, ate some chilli, had a lot of good laughs and everybody caught some fish. It’s nice to see some of these corporate folks get out there and get some fishing in. Even though they’re in the fishing business it doesn’t necessarily mean that they get to spend a lot of time on the water. Usually it’s the opposite. When you get involved in the fishing business, especially on the corporate side, you can’t spend as much time on the water because you’re too busy working. After a fun day on Simcoe it was time for the Toronto Sportsmen’s Show, where I was doing a seminar on behalf of Berkley. It was well attended and I ended up going back to the Berkley booth for some autograph signing. One of the highlights of that show for me is Dave Early. Dave is a long-time associate of Berkley and he is in charge of all the meals for their staff at these shows. In the back of the Berkley booth Dave had a fullblown kitchen set up and his menu had everything from homemade breakfast sand-

wiches to fresh perch to turkey dinners. This guy is amazing. He should open up his own restaurant. I was thinking about bringing a cot and just living there for the duration of the show because he definitely feeds you well. He even makes homemade cookies! I mean, this guy is awesome! Then it was back to Lake Simcoe to meet up with John Whyte for some lake trout fishing. John operates a number of websites, including the Lake Simcoe Message Board. He is on the ice on Simcoe more than anybody I know. He’s out there fishing basically seven-days a week. Sometimes I’ll call him when it’s blowing 25 or 30-miles an hour, and it might be -20°F and guess where he is? He’s out on the ice, fishing. The guy is definitely fanatical. This trip turned out to be one of those, “You should have been here yesterday” days. When we got there John said the lakers were biting and we could easily get some video shot, so we were excited to get at it. It was a very cold day so we piled into the SnoBear and headed out. As it turned out,

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Spring 2014 – Real Fishing 61

John caught the only two fish that day, a 10-pound laker and a 5-pound whitefish. We got a bit of video shot but not exactly the numbers of fish that we were hoping for. As the old saying goes, we should have been there the day before. At the time of this writing I’m getting prepared to go for one more kick at the lakers before the season ends. The following week I was off to the Spring Fishing and Boat Show at the International Centre in Mississauga for the industry breakfast that is held on the Friday morning. Two long-time friends, Patrick The hot bait on Okeechobee was the Berkley Rib Shad rigged on a ¼-ounce, 5/0, wide-gap, belly weighted hook.

62 Real Fishing – Spring 2014

Campeau and Dr. Bruce Tufts, were inducted into the Canadian Fishing Hall of Fame this year. These guys have definitely made their marks in the fishing world. Patrick has been in the fishing business for almost as long as I have and Bruce is a tournament angler and noted biologist. He has done a ton of research on bass tournaments and their effects on the fish and on fishing and his work has been invaluable in understanding the fisheries and the fish. In fact, Bruce sent us an article on his research into smallmouth growth rates that you can read starting on page 44 of this issue.

On Sunday I was back at the show to do a seminar and there was a packed crowd. It’s always good to go to that show and talk to a lot of the “keeners.” This is one of the shows that a lot of the hard-core anglers go to because it’s so focused on fishing and boats. My plan was to leave the day after I did the seminar to get a jump on a trip to Florida. Now, I say “get a jump”, but my wife, Sandy, and I have been trying to get to Florida since January 2nd. Work kept getting in the way and we ended up putting the trip off while we worked through most of the winter. Finally, 6-days after I finished my seminar at the spring show, we headed down to Florida. The game plan was to visit some friends and get in some fishing while we were down there. Rick McCrory flew down from Montreal to join us and Bill Chambers, from North Bay, had been down all winter, so we tagged up for about an hour and a half fishing on Lake Istokpoga one evening. We caught a few fish, shared a few laughs and had a great time during our short time on the water. After we left Bill we headed down to Lake Okeechobee, and the fishing was on fire! We ended up catching bass flipping Berkley PowerBait Chigger Quads, we caught them on the new Berkley PowerBait Rib Shads and also on topwater frogs. We had four-days of incredible fishing and we caught big fish every day. Our best day for numbers was 25 fish, but we were not fishing from sunup to sundown. We were fishing leisurely hours, from about 8 in the morning until lunch time, so that shows you how good the bite was. There’s no question that the hottest bait was the Berkley Rib Shad in the California or Plum colours. We rigged this on a ¼ounce, 5/0, wide-gap, belly weighted hook and it was really working well. I have two rods I use for this; a 7-foot, medium-heavy Fenwick Aetos and a 7’ 3” Abu Veritas with a medium-heavy action. I use Revo reels spooled with 30 to 40-pound Trilene Professional braid and I tie on a 15 to 17pound test Berkley 100% Fluorocarbon leader. We had some explosive hits by using this bait just below the surface on a medium to slow retrieve. It’s amazing how incredibly well this lake has been fishing over the last three or four-years.

They say it’s a small world and something that happened on this trip proves how small a world it really is. Lake Okeechobee is about 27-miles across and we were fishing about 12-miles from the ramp in the city of Okeechobee, at the north end of the lake. A friend of mine, Robert Greenberg, from Ottawa, was also down there fishing

but he was running out of Clewiston, on the southwest part of the lake. I was going to call him from the lake one evening but when I was dialing his number my buddy, Rick McCrory, had a massive explosion on a topwater frog. I automatically put the phone down to help Rick land the fish, which turned out to be about 6 ½-pounds.

In the excitement I forgot about my phone call and went back to fishing. About an hour later we saw a boat fishing towards us. It got closer and closer and all of a sudden I noticed it was Robert sneaking up from behind us. We had a good laugh and spent some time visiting on the water. How’s that for a small world? Everyone is saying what a tough winter this has been and I have to agree. The only good thing about it is that all the cold weather provided a perfect opportunity for me to catch up with the different TV series’ that I hadn’t seen. I’m talking about Breaking Bad, Homeland, Justified, House of Cards and Sons of Anarchy. I’ve done more TV viewing this winter than I have combined for the last 10-years! I must say it’s a good way to spend the cold winter days but, now that I’m caught up on all of these TV shows, I’m definitely ready to get back to fishing! Have a great spring season and maybe I’ll see you on the water. ?

Spring 2014 – Real Fishing 63

What’s COOKING This interesting spin on fried fish reminds us of a deconstructed version of a stuffed baked potato. With walleye, cheddar cheese, sour cream and bacon in the mix, how could it be anything but delicious!

Spinach and Potato Walleye topped with Cheddar, Bacon and Sour Cream INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

2 2 ½ cup ¾ cup ¼ cup 3 tbsp To taste 2 cup 2 tbsp 2 4

Cut walleye fillets into 3 or 4-inch pieces, lightly season with Montreal Steak Spice then coat with flour.

skinless boneless walleye fillets large, pre-boiled potatoes cut into ½-inch cubes flour cooked and chopped spinach 2% milk or chicken broth vegetable oil Montreal Steak Spice, salt, pepper and paprika grated cheddar sour cream sprigs of green onion, chopped strips of cooked bacon, chopped

64 Real Fishing – Spring 2014

Heat oil in a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Add fillets and cook until the edges appear white, and then flip. Immediately add the potatoes between the fillets. Add spinach, spreading it around evenly. Salt and pepper to taste, add milk and top with grated cheddar. Cover and cook for 2-minutes or until cheese has melted.

Turn off heat, top with sour cream, bacon and green onions. Decorate with a sprinkle of paprika and enjoy! Chef Beny established his cooking roots in the restaurants of Montreal in the 1980s. He continued to hone his skills in Ontario where he ultimately established his food service company, Beny’s Kitchen. Chef Beny joined the Spring Fishing and Boat Show in 2010 and has made quite an impression with his delicious fish and game meat recipes.

He’s going to give you a good fight. Make it worth his while. COME AND GET IT. Our wines are only available direct — either in person or by delivery from our vineyard in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. It’s taken 14 years to get it right, to perfect the craft of making wine that is drinkable, accessible, and affordable. It all happens here in our Big Red Barn. Our modern-rustic space houses our cellar and is part tasting room, part clubhouse. There’s no pretension or mystery here. All that we know, we’re ready to share with you, to delight the novice wine lover and the veteran oenophile alike. Visit us or order ahead for your next big trip and for each purchase of an Izumi wine, Between the Lines will donate $1 to the Fishing Forever Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the preservation of Canada’s fishing resources.

Contact Contact us to to book your your winery tour. tour. Mention this ad and receive receive a free free tasting of our Izumi wines:

BetweenTheLinesWinery.com BetweenTheLinesWinery.com

RAINBOW AFTER THE STORM

Artist:

Nick Laferriere

Dimensions: 9.5" x 15.5"

“I entered this piece for the 2014 Manitoba Fisheries Enhancement Stamp Competition. Each year Manitoba Fisheries holds an art competition and the winner's artwork

Medium:

Watercolour pencil crayons

is featured on all the Manitoba Fishing Licenses for that year.

Contact:

Nick Laferriere

This year I was fortunate to have been chosen! My entry depicts a rainbow trout from one of the pristine Duck

Art by Nick Laferriere PO Box 2028 Stonewall, MB Canada R0C 2Z0 nick.laferriere.art@icloud.com www.nicklaferriere.com

Mountain Provincial Park lakes. Through stocking programs throughout the province we’re lucky to have some of the best stillwater trout fishing in North America.” – Nick Laferriere

66 Real Fishing – Spring 2014